Story of Us | Part 4: Eight -

welcome to the story of us

Eight years. Eight. Somehow we’re almost a decade into this thing called marriage. Maybe it’s because I’m constantly immersed in the world of weddings, but not many days go by that I don’t think about our special day in some small way. It truly does seem like it was just days ago that we were stressing over last minute details (okay, I was stressing over details) and there are also times I feels like forever ago. Maybe because we’ve packed so much life into those eight years! I I remember waking up and trying the cucumber trick on my tired eyes because I’d been too excited to get a proper night’s sleep. Chatting and laughing my way through getting my hair styled, not knowing the bobby pins that were keeping it all in place for the day would take us over an hour to get out of my hair that night. Jamming six girls and all our crap into one tiny room at the church to get ready (I’m surprised we only suffered one meltdown during that time). Praying by myself in the bridal room once everyone had cleared out and guests began to arrive because I wanted to think of nothing and no one but God and the precious gift he was giving the two of us on our special day. Walking through those church doors and saying “Holy crap!” to Dad because it was a sea of people staring at us and I hate being the center of attention. I still laugh over this each time I think of it! 😂

Then there was the ceremony, which I can safely say I don’t remember a single word we said during it – stage fright at its finest!! I do remember our first kiss and laughing down the aisle because we were finally MARRIED! Hopping into our waiting limo for the drive across town to our venue, so very grateful it could hold only the two of us. We had the chance to soak in those first moments as a married couple alone, just the two of us, where we hugged, kissed, and selfied our way over to the party. Throwing on rain boots and heading off in a golf cart to take couples portraits on our venue’s golf course, snagging even more moments alone together on our special day. Laughing, jumping, kissing, I still remember how much joy I felt take these with you. I was taking pictures with my HUSBAND.

The reception was another blur. Hours of time I remember through flashes in my memory. Enjoying our delicious food (I’m still dreaming of that lobster sauce 😋). Laughing during our toasts, as my sister, Kristen, and her husband took all the credit for us getting together. Struggling to hold it together as my parents and your dad toasted us, still feeling the hole in my heart that your beautiful mother wasn’t there to celebrate with us (FUCK cancer). Twirling around the dance floor with my dad and crying as I watched your sister step in to take your mom’s place during your dance. Watching you chat with your dad, then snapping photos together that would be the last ones you’d ever take together. Soaking in all the fun our family and friends were having breaking it down on the dance floor. At the end of the night, cramming ourselves into your car where our family had packed all our gifts, me trying to drive in my big puffy wedding dress because you’d had just a little too much to drink. And ending the night, hand in hand with you, walking into our hotel utterly exhausted and hoping for a midnight snack from the front desk.

Jon, you’re my best friend. The love of my life. It is so cliche, but there is truly no one else in this world I would rather be with than you (okay, maybe Justin Timberlake, but you and I have an understanding about that!). I know I don’t say it to you enough because life with two toddlers and demanding jobs gets in the way, but I have been and will always be grateful for each and every single day I get to spend as your wife. Now get off your phone and watch the kids so I can do my yoga before you go play basketball and not yell at you about it later. 😘 All my love, forever and always!!